The 2025 Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition Champion, Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA), traveled to Phoenix this month and captured its first national championship. The team bested 47 other state champions who competed for the top prize. Team member Kavneer Majhail also was named an outstanding attorney of the competition. The final round was held in the historic Maricopa County Old Courthouse, which is most well known for hosting the first trial of Ernesto Miranda, which ultimately led to Miranda v. Arizona and the present-day Miranda rights. The courtroom also was used by the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. The team is coached by Wade Cowan, Tracy Hancock and Marisa Combs Smith. See photos from the event.

Make plans now to join the TBA for a CLE like no other! The Murder Mystery CLE, set for this Friday, is a unique opportunity that will allow participants to step into the roaring 1920s and unravel the mystery of J.W. Hanks’ untimely demise. Was Hanks’ killer his employee, his doctor, his wife, his mistress, his best friend or someone else he trusted? Using Tennessee’s latest criminal laws to uncover crucial clues, teams will spend the afternoon immersed in this unforgettable blend of education and entertainment with guidance from Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law professors Sydney Beckman and Melanie Reid. The event, which includes lunch, will take place from noon to 4 p.m. CDT at the Nashville Public Library. Members of the Criminal Justice Section save on registration. Not a section member yet? Join here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on April 30 directed Anderson County lawyer Robert Mike Sain to satisfy outstanding obligations with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education by June 16 or face dismissal of his petition for reinstatement. Sain petitioned the court for reinstatement on April 7.

The Tennessee Supreme Court transferred the law license of Sullivan County lawyer John Sidney McLellan III to disability inactive status on May 13. McLellan may not practice law while on inactive status but may seek reinstatement by showing that the disability has been removed.

The Tennessee Supreme Court transferred the law license of Sumner County lawyer Loretta Madeline Calvert to disability inactive status on May 13. Calvert may not practice law while on inactive status but may seek reinstatement by showing that the disability has been removed.

Nashville lawyer Margaret Behm will be honored next month with the Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award from the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) and Tennessee’s American Inns of Court. Behm, an attorney with Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella, is being recognized for her selfless contributions to the legal profession, which include a number of “firsts,” including serving as the first chair of the Tennessee Judicial Selection Commission and the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission. In announcing this year's recipient, TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. said, “Margaret Behm has spent her career in service to the legal profession advancing the best things about our practice. While she has promoted the role of all lawyers, she has specifically promoted the role of women by serving as a mentor and an inspiration to many, including many serving on the bench today. She embodies the qualities envisioned in the Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award. A lawyer’s lawyer, we are grateful for her many contributions to the profession.”

The professionalism award honors a lawyer or judge whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the rule of law and the legal profession in Tennessee. It is named in honor of the late Judge Pamela L. Reeves, former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the first recipient of the award. Reeves was an active leader in both the American Inns of Court and the TBA, where she was elected the first female president in 1988. The award will be presented at the 2025 Bench/Bar Luncheon set for June 12 as part of the TBA’s Annual Convention in Franklin. Read more in the TBA’s press release.

Make plans now to join colleagues from across the state at the TBA’s 2025 Annual Convention, set for June 11-14, at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs. In addition to compelling CLE programs and leadership meetings, multiple social and networking events will provide opportunities to connect with colleagues. The convention gets underway Wednesday and will feature a welcome reception that evening. Thursday will begin with the Public Service Breakfast and University of Tennessee College of Law Breakfast, continue with the annual Bench/Bar Luncheon, and wrap up with a Bench/Bar Reception that will feature food, drinks, trivia and other games. Get ready for some friendly competition between lawyers and judges! Friday will feature a breakfast buffet and the annual Lawyers Luncheon, which will include a look back at TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr.'s year in office and the swearing in of new president Heidi Barcus. All events are included with the full convention registration. Watch for more information about individual tickets, which will go on sale June 2, coming soon.

A pro bono opportunity included in yesterday’s issue of TBA Today incorrectly stated that a veterans clinic would be held in Knoxville this month. The next veterans clinic will take place on June 11. The clinic is held every other month on the second Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. EDT at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville 37919. Attorney and law student volunteers are always needed. Also in yesterday’s issue, the story about Nashville paying out settlement funds accidentally transposed the numbers in the amount. The metro government paid out $4.2 million in 2024.

Applications are now being accepted for the Legal Services Corporation’s (LSC) Basic Field Grant Program. Funds will be award in December for programs that begin in January 2026. Funds may be used to provide civil legal services to eligible clients. Learn more in the LSC’s request for proposals. The deadline for submitting applications is June 2. More information about eligibility guidelines is available on the LSC website.

An investiture ceremony and reception for U.S. Magistrate Judge Mike Dumitru will take place June 13. The ceremony will be held at the federal courthouse in Chattanooga, followed by a reception at Chattanooga Whiskey. More details coming soon. Dimitru joined the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee in a private swearing in ceremony in January after serving as a Hamilton County circuit court judge.